Moving Forward
by showtunediva
Summary: The graduation installment of the Holoday In Seussland Anthology. Congrats to the class of 2015! Still in progress. Critical feedback needed.


Moving Forward

A Seussical Graduation Fan Fiction

Inspired by the song Graduation Friends Forever by Vitamin C.

Notes I own no characters from Seussical The Musical. This is dedicated to all the seniors in the class of 2015. I have four cousins who are graduating this year (Olivia, Matthew, Alex and Candace) and several members of my theatre family, including four people who were involved with Seussical last year in the cast and crew- Megan Hammes, Jacob Lacroix, Mike Robicheau and Alyssa Lederhos. This is centered around Jeff the Who which is based on my who brother from Seussical Camden Slater who is technically 8 years old in reality but to make the whole thing with people going to fight in the Butter Battle make more sense I have made his character 10 years older in this whole series of stories I've written.. Please see character index at the beginning of this story for list of character names. Also Thing 1's Diner is the Seussian counterpart of the Red Arrow.

Jeff the Who wandered the halls of Whoville/Nool Cooperative High School aimlessly. He was lost in a fog of reflection thinking about how much had changed in the past year and how graduation was approaching so quickly. Where had the year flown to so fast... like a bird on the wing?"

Distracted as he was he had not heard the footsteps of two people coming up behind him in the hallway. "Guess who?" a female voice said as two hands covered his eyes.

"You'll never guess!" a second voice chimed in.

Jeff had never had much tolerance for guessing games. "I don't know. Who?" he asked

"Just us!" His friend Vivian said grinning at him.

"What's up Jeff?" asked his other friend Dylan.

"Nothing... just thinking about graduation." Jeff said

"I know! Can you even believe we have only three more weeks of school left?" Vivian asked.

Jeff shook his head. "Nope."

"It's amazing how things have things changed so much since we integrated with the jungle creatures." Dylan noted

Jeff nodded in agreement. " Yeah, things would have been so much different if Horton had lost that trial last winter.. we would never have gotten off that dumb clover which was so congested. Like Mrs. Mayor has pointed out to my mom it was definitely very liberating."

"And if that hadn't happened we wouldn't have met Cole, Avery and everyone else." Vivian said.

Dylan smiled. "Too true Viv."

"It's gonna be so weird to come back here next year to visit." Jeff commented.

Vivian and Dylan nodded.

"That's for sure. I'm really going to miss all the kids in the lower grades and my family." Vivian said.

The bell signaling the beginning of lunch period rang.

"You guys eating on campus today?" Jeff asked

Vivian shook her head. "Nope, we're going to Thing 1's Diner with a bunch of people. Let's hurry up and get there."

Jeff Dylan and Vivian walked the 3 miles to the diner. Their friends Aubrey, Natalie and Mason were waiting outside for them.

"Is everyone else inside?" Vivian asked.

Mason nodded. "Yeah, we were just waiting for you guys before we started to order. Come on ... let's go in!"

The six friends entered the diner.

"Over here guys!" their friend Cole called out.

Once they sat down Harper handed them some menus.

"I can't believe school is almost over for the year already." Avery said

"Neither can I. Doesn't seem like it was just yesterday when Horton was on trial?" Arianna asked

"I think we can all agree that we're happy that all that absurdity is behind us now." Benjamin said as he put ketchup on his onion rings.

"Amen to that!" Mariah said.

"Wasn't the prom so much fun?" Aubrey asked.

"It certainly was." Harper said.

"What are you guys going to miss about this place once we graduate?" Mason asked

"The teachers." Aubrey said

"All the awesome community events." Mason said

"Definitely seeing the Bird Girls perform. They're so fun to watch... your cousin is a good singer Jeff." Arianna said.

Jeff grinned. "I'm sure she'd really appreciate that compliment. She can be insecure about her voice sometimes when she doesn't really need to be. "

"Another thing I'm really happy about is that the Butter Battle is over." Vivian said.

Max nodded. "That's for sure. Jeff, was a reason for the war ever figured out?"

Jeff shook his head before taking a sip of his soda. "Nope. Lots of Whoville resources were really wasted on that dumb war. "

"I always wondered what difference it made weather or not you ate your bread butter side up." Max gave Jeff a curious glance.

Jeff shrugged again. "I guess some questions in life are meant to go unanswered and that would most likely be one of them."

Pretty soon it was the week of graduation. The seniors had finals on Monday and Tuesday and then left for their senior class camping trip early on Wednesday morning. They were hiking the mountains on the far western side of Nool that over looked a popular watering hole that was used every summer.

"Quite the view from up here isn't it?" Avery asked Jeff.

Jeff nodded. "Sure is. Really gonna miss it here once I leave."

"What are your plans for next year Jeff?"

Jeff shrugged. " I think I'm taking the year off. I might actually consider helping General Schmitz over the summer with training new recruits."

Avery 's smile quickly morphed into a frown. "Don't you worry that he could draft you into another war?"

Jeff nodded. "A little bit. If he does I'll be ready for it that's for sure. I actually think I might go to college to study aeronautical engineering so that way I can fly battle planes."

"When would you start with training the recruits?"

"Monday. The general said he might be able to help to pay for tuition too."

"How do your parents feel about the potential possibility that you might go back to war? I mean you've only been back from the Butter Battle for six months."

"My mom was actually a bit unsure about it. I think she worries too much though. I'll be perfectly fine."

"Just be careful. None of us would want anything bad to happen to you. I mean JoJo almost died in that dumb war. If you think about it any of you could have died."

Jeff wrapped his friend in a hug. "Jojo didn't make a very smart move.. I'll admit to that but he did survive. Don't worry Avery, I'll be fine I promise."

Jeff was sharing a cabin with Dylan, Asher and Hudson. They sat up in their bunks talking.

"Can you guys even believe we're graduating Friday night?" Hudson asked.

Asher shook his head. "No, it seems surreal. I mean last year at this time the Whos and Jungle Creatures were still getting adjusted to co-existing in Nool."

"And look how far we've all come and we've all gelled together to help Gertrude and Horton raise Little Jojo." Dylan added.

"Can't believe he's already one." Asher quipped.

"Are Mayzie & Tweet coming back for the graduation?" Asher asked Jeff.

Jeff nodded. "Yup. They're staying at the penthouse. The Bird Girls are throwing a big graduation bash for me. I hope you guys can all come."

Dylan grinned. "We wouldn't miss it buddy."

"Was it ever confirmed that one of the Bird Girls is speaking at the graduation?" Asher asked.

Jeff nodded. "Yup. Jessica is. I am so excited to hear her speech! Demi has been helping her practice it. She says it sounds really good."

The weather was mild the night of the graduation. Demi sat in the bleachers with her mother, sisters aunt and uncle. Winona had stayed behind at the penthouse to help the Bird Girls set up for the party.

"Sophie, I really cannot believe Jeff is graduating. Time sure flies doesn't it?" Rhea asked her sister in law.

Sophia dabbed at her eyes with a tissue. "It sure does. This year has flown by too quickly. Next year won't be the same without him. We're all going to miss him."

Kiara noticed General Scmitz on the sidelines of the football field. "Is he presenting some sort of award tonight or something?" She asked her mother.

Rhea looked at her program and smiled. ""Looks like all the high schoolers who were in the Butter Battle are getting special recognition tonight. Jeff is also getting a military scholarship."

Sophia's jaw dropped. "He never told us about that."

Demi smiled. "I guess he wanted it to be a surprise."

The ceremony lasted about an hour and a half. Afterwards Jeff his family and friends headed back to the Penthouse. When they opened the door Wynona and two of the Wickershams Louie & Hugo entered the hallway. "Doesn't everything look great?" Louie asked.

Jeff nodded. " Yeah! Wy, you and the girls did a really great job."

Wynona gave her brother a tight hug. "Happy Graduation Jeff. I am so proud of you! I am going to miss you next year."

"Gonna miss you too kid." Jeff said kissing his sister on the forehead.

"Come on! There's a whole buffet lunch outside for all the graduates. Jeannette and Caroline are here too!" Hugo said.

Vivian grinned. "Great! I can't wait to find out how their first year of college went!"

Out in the courtyard buffet tables lined up against the back end of the pent house. Mayzie and the bird girls had hired a DJ.

Brooklyn Vivian and Harper sat at the same table with Jeannette and Caroline,.

"You guys must be so happy to be done." Caroline said

"It hasn't sunk in for me yet actually." Brooklyn said.

"Did you guys have a good first year at college?"

Caroline nodded. "It was a tough adjustment at first but overall it was a pretty good first year."


End file.
